PGA Tour notified Smith rules authorities that he had breached Rule 14.7 and was now nine under and four back after beginning the day at 11 under and two strokes off the lead held by J.J. Spaun.
After analyzing the video from Round 3 of Smith's drop at the fourth hole, a par 3, officials learned of the infraction.
A breach of Rule 17.1 (when the ball is in the penalty area) is evident in the video of Smith dropping and playing his subsequent shot from the hazard line, turning his bogey-4 into a triple-bogey.
PGA Tour chief referee Gary Young stated: "When I asked him the question [whether his golf ball was on the hazard line], regrettably, he answered to me, 'No, the ball was clearly touching the line. "After that, there is no going back. I am confident that the player was aware that the ball had touched the line at that precise instant; nonetheless, he was unaware of the requirement that the entire ball is outside the penalty area and in his relief area.
The decision acquired additional significance, given Smith's No. 2 place on the FedExCup points list and his attempt to surpass Scottie Scheffler at the top of the global rankings. With a victory on Sunday at TPC Southwind, the Australian will climb to No. 1 on both lists.
Login To Leave a Comment